The Importance of Play
by Baileys
Summary: Peter is being Peter and Neal is just being Neal. El as usual has the answer. A light-hearted look at the relationship dynamics of this lovely trio. One-shot (for now, but you never know). Not Slash.


It all started with Neal.

Peter was feeling frustrated already this morning. He'd woken up late, missed out on all the good parking spaces and had to walk two blocks to the office, all thanks to an unprecedented trip up state the night before. He'd been personally requested to interview a high-profile witness, which turned out to be nothing more than a complete waste of four hours and would be sleep. So, walking through the White Collar double doors a little after 10:30, he was already firmly entrenched in his bad mood. He's a professional though, and despite having limited patience when it comes to navigating politics, Peter was determined not to let the rest of his day go downhill. Then Neal just had to do what Neal does best, and immediately started bugging him about taking him to some art show at the weekend.

 _Its only half a mile outside my radius Peter._

 _I'll only need a few hours Peter._

 _Peter, if you think about it, it's in your best interest._

And his all time favourite-

 _I bet El would love it._

That's what drew the words from being just a thought to taking on a life of their own.

After Peter was done listing all the reasons why he wasn't going, El wasn't going and therefore Neal couldn't go, he stomped up the stairs to his office and slammed the door. Or as much as one could slam glass without it shattering into a million pieces. Which essentially was a very firm pull to.

Another flaw with glass walls - you couldn't sink behind your desk, head in hands and simply let the emotion and frustration out. Not without anyone calling the shrink on you at any rate.

Truthfully though, he had no idea why he was feeling so … _meh_. The book advocates that's perfectly normal, which is all well in good to know - _now_. However, when all this was happening he didn't know that. So, when Neal takes himself off for an unsanctioned trip up to the evidence storage room after lunch, Peter's thinking _'the little shits doing that on purpose'_.

He catches up with him in the hallway and threatens him with prison. The dejection, rejection and disappointment in his gaze not even registering with Peter until its too late. He was in the moment and by god Neal was going to pay.

Then Neal did the unthinkable. He apologised. Leaving Peter hanging, coming down from the height of his anger to feel the guilt he rightly deserves. His first instinct was to make it up to him somehow. An art gallery trip maybe. But then Peter knew he'd be making a rod for his own back. No, he needed to work this out. He couldn't risk another Pierce situation. That's how he ended up reading the damn book.

Feelings, Thoughts, Behaviour by Dr something or other. The best parenting book out there according to the amazon reviews and his well-meaning wife.

"You should read that book." She'd said casually that evening through the kitchen window, after listening to him bemoan ever agreeing to take Neal under his wing.

"What book?" Peter snapped, uncapping his second beer and throwing the tiny piece of tin across the patio.

"Trey and Sheila told us about it at their BBQ last month remember? They use it on Maisie." Elizabeth clarified, while stirring her pasta sauce.

Peter closed his eyes, letting the setting summer sun warm his eyelids while he chuckled at the thought. "You want me to read a dog book to use on Neal?"

"Its not a dog book... Maisie's their 3-year-old." She threw him a disapproving glare. "Its a parenting guide."

"Even worse." Peter choked.

El appeared at his side, handed him a bowl of the pasta she'd made.

"Don't be silly." She sat with her own pasta and beer in hand. "If it works it works. Doesn't matter who it was meant for."

"What does this magic book profess to do then?" He asked, having no intention of reading anything of the sort.

And so, El told.

That's how Peter found himself sequestered in his office the next day, under the guise of a working lunch after a brief side trip to Waterstones, reading Feelings Thoughts Behaviour.

He had to admit. It made sense. And absolutely described Caffrey's behaviour to a tee. Which brought up other concerns, but none Peter could really do anything about. Not really. Neal's personality had been formed and solidified long ago. Peter was a proprietor of change, but his expectations were firmly set in reality no matter how far fetched it seemed.

Eyeing Neal still sulking yet working at his desk. Peter sucked in a steadying breath and coaxed himself to take a leap and give the book ago. What could go wrong?

"Neal."

"Peter."

Well that was a flop from the start. Peter's greeting was relaxed and welcoming just like the book suggests. Neal was sullen and... rude. Peter's instinctual reaction is to demand what's wrong. But he holds back. Gives himself a metaphorical pat on the back for the effort. He tells himself it wasn't at all aided by the fact he already knew exactly what was wrong because he had caused it and, remembering what he'd read, instead chooses to ignore the behaviour.

"I've got a good case for us," Peter goes on about the case and how good it is. Neal continues to be sullen and Peter continues too ignore, until -

"You know what?" Neal shouts at him, provides an eloquent and extensive list of why the case was, in his opinion, 'not good' and storms off.

Peter huffs.

…

"It didn't work!" Peter grouses as soon as he's home.

"What didn't work now?" El rolls her eyes, heading to the fridge on impulse.

"Trey and Shelia's stupid book."

"What did you do?"

"What do you mean me?" Peter takes the offered beer without thinking how she knew. "It was Neal, I was following exactly what the book said, I was ignoring his annoying – and frankly disrespectful –" he adds with high authority, "behaviour, but instead of calming down he just kept going. It got worse and worse until he stormed off!"

"Peter," El sighs.

"No, I tried, I was better off doing it my way." He says with finality and drops into his chair turning on the game.

"Your way being badgering him every time he does anything suspect and accusing him of crimes without considering all the possibilities first?" She says calmly.

"Exactly." Peter agrees turning up the volume.

"Hon," El snatches the remote, clicks it off. "That's exactly the behaviour that's making things so hard!"

"I'm telling you hon, nothing works I've tried everything."

El scowls at him, gives him back the remote and leaves him to it. Seeing the book lying discarded on the counter she grabs it and takes a look. It doesn't take her long to realise why what Peter had tried hadn't worked.

"Peter?"

"Yeah?"

She shows him the book, "you've missed the first five chapters."

He looks at her uncomprehending. "They weren't relevant." He shrugs.

"Not relevant?" She parrots, eye bulging. "Peter," she snatches up the remote and clicks off the tv again. "If you had read the intro you'd know that you can't just skip to the punishment bit. It doesn't work like that. You need to build on the foundations first."

"El," Peter laughs, "it's a parenting book, the first four chapters are on playing with your kid. I'm not going to start building Lego with Neal."

"Why not?" She challenges in all seriousness.

"Your joking?" He gawks, chocking on a nervous swig of beer.

"Okay not Legos, but you could take him to an art exhibit." She gets into a flow, "you could take an interest in what he likes, the book says to let the child lead sometimes in order to show them that they have your attention."

"I give Neal plenty of attention." Peter tries to end the conversation by ignoring her, focusing his gaze on the still turned off TV.

"Negative attention." El thrusts the page she has open in front of him. "Look, it says right here. Giving a child negative attention only encourages them to do it more."

Peter pushes the pages down, looking pleadingly at his wife. "Neal is not a child."

"Isn't he? Because honestly, you wouldn't know it the way you talk about him," she shows him the book again.

Intrigued, Peter gives in and reads. At first, he does so just to appease El, but then he starts to make the connections she did and suddenly he isn't so sure in his convictions. Essentially the book describes a pyramid. The base consists of playing with the child, or in his case pain in the ass CI. Anyway, the next level up is praise – not something he often gives Neal he'll admit. The next is something Peter is always trying to do, effective limit setting. Next comes the ignore tactic he tried today and then the final brick, time out. Basically, the author says if the foundations of the pyramid are missing the top tiers won't work. Hmm. He hates to admit he's wrong, but at least its El. El is unquestionably the smart one when it comes to … well, anything. As if that wasn't bad enough, as Peter reads on he starts to feel very, very guilty. He'd done all the wrong things apparently. From acting on his negative automatic thoughts to expecting too much when it came to Neal's ability to behave.

The chapter on modelling good behaviour was interesting, made him feel a little surer he's doing something right, knowing that simply being in the FBI and being around law abiding people will help Neal to do the same. But the part about showing bad behaviour attention, that was troubling. He wished he read this book years ago. Would have saved them all a lot of man hours and missed dinners. If, as he's always suspected, Neal's crimes were more for the kudos and attention than anything else, Peter only encouraged him to break the law by chasing him. All the kid wanted was someone to notice him. It was sad. How does a kid like Neal, essentially good at heart, get to the point he starts committing high profile crimes just to be noticed? Peter knows Neal grew up without a father, but that leads to some uncomfortable thoughts about his mother.

"Hon?" Peter calls when he's through.

El sticks her head into the bedroom from their bathroom. They'd moved up stairs after chapter 3.

"Do you mind if we rain check on lunch tomorrow? I've kind of got something I need to do."

…

"Peter?" Neal frowns at Peter standing in his apartment on a Saturday morning. "We got called in?"

"No," he enters, looking unusually shy. "Actually, I had some free time and thought, if you weren't doing anything you might like a trip to that gallery you so desperately want to go to."

Neal slams the door, unintentionally, but the shock has him leaning too heavily against it and his minds too stunned to correct the motion.

"You know I would." He eyes him suspiciously.

Peter ducks looking... embarrassed? Neal might faint.

"Yeah, sorry, I was in a bad mood that day you asked." Peter shrugs if off. "I took it out on you. Kind of hoping to make it up to you."

"You know you could just extend my radius for a.."

"Yeah nice try." Peter gives him an irritated nudge, pointing at Neal's bare feet. "You got me as a babysitter. Take it or leave it."

That's the Peter Neal knows, he relaxes. Weirded out by overly nice Peter.

"Not that I don't relish spending even more time with you than our already overpacked standard work week-"

"Good, because if you want to go, it's now or never."

"You mean right now?"

"Neal."

"Now's good!" He back tracks, knowing when he's pushed Peter to his limit. "Just let me get ready." He shouts back disappearing into his wardrobe.

"What? Ready? Neal you're already dressed." Peter hollered after him, but Neal had already gone.

Peter was smiling despite his words. Seeing Neal animated, smiling even. He hadn't realised how little Neal smiled and meant it until just now. Settling in to wait for him to pick an outfit befitting of such an outing or whatever it was he was doing in there, Peter helped himself to a mug of coffee and thought long and hard about their relationship.

Clearly, he'd played his part in who Neal Caffrey had become over the years, but hopefully with a little help from El and doctor what's her face, he'd be able to have a more positive impact going forward.

…

As the day progressed it felt weird, and a little awkward. He has to admit praising Neal for something as simple as not wandering off was odd, but it appeared to work. Peter kept any beguiling thoughts to himself, commented on Neal's never-ending knowledge of the art, showing he was interested and listening. Neal in turn was polite, didn't try and wander off and didn't steal his wallet or attempt anything illegal while they were out. It was frankly, un-goddam-believable.

"El, hon?"

"You're home?"

"I am," Peter falls onto the sofa, utterly exhausted.

"How'd it go?"

She's eager for details, and to hear she was right. All Peter could think through the aching feet and head from walking the miles around a room full of works, that though worth money and worthy of stealing, he had no real artist interest in, was good thing he loves his wife.

"It went well." He nods and waits to tell her the rest when she's got the wine glasses.

He doesn't tell her about the trip to the newest impressionist exhibit out on Roosevelt Island which he oh so unfortunately can't make, but that he made sure to tell Neal El was free and would just love to go. Good time to test if those who preach also can teach. He'll save that little nugget for morning.

A/N:

Well thanks for reading, reviewing, favouriting and all that stuff you good people do. Still writing my longer fics, this is just a little nugget that amused me and allowed me to take a break from all the angst! Full disclosure - the fictional book and its teaching is based on a real parenting book called The Incredible Years by Carolyn Webster-Stratton, and it does actually have some good advice, in case anyone's interested. 😊


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